Well, we're back in Nairobi. It's been a bit longer than planned, but that's ok. We left for Gatab on the 21st of December, intending to return on the 7th of January, but because of the political situation AIM Air management asked us to stay in Gatab as a reserve for AIM Air...Gatab being peaceful, the airplane easy to get to, and with plenty of fuel (over 1400 gallons on hand). So we ended up coming back on the 13th.
We had a great time there in Gatab! In fact, we're going back to fill in for the other pilot family (they are on home assignment at this time) until they return. No, we're not sure of the timeline.
I got to fly to some interesting places...the Nolpilipili airstrip is banana shaped. Ngororoi is one way..you land uphill (about a 10 degree upslope) and takeoff downhill. The church in Gatab is planting churches at Ngororoi and Nolpilipili, so I flew the pastors there. We also did medical clinics there and in Olturot.
Gatab. The mission station was started about 40 years ago by Howard Anderson, and Paul Teasedale. There wasn't a village there...the village grew up as the missionaries provided water (they dug wells and piped water from the well heads and springs). They started a church there, AIC Gatab. Later a plane and pilot were stationed there to support the northern mission stations: Gatab, Loiyangalani, Kalacha, Korr, Loglogo, and others. Later a hospital was built, AIC Gatab Hospital, and a secondary school, and Haven Home, a boarding home for the school.
Three other missionary families are in Gatab: Jeff and Peggy Heidorn, John and Becky Woodworth, and Friedhelm and Esther Focking. Friedhelm is the doctor in Gatab. John is the station manager and an elder at AIC Gatab. Jeff runs Haven Home. There is also Katharina Dych, the lab tech at the hospital.
Alot of the flights from Gatab are medical in nature. I flew several people to or from the Gatab hospital. When we got to Ngororoi, we were told there was a lady who'd been in labor 2 days. She got flown to Gatab hospital, obviously. Medical flights save, the doctor there estimates, about 2 lives a month on average.
The flights from Gatab tend to be short...30 minutes is a very long one. But the time savings is immense. Loiyangalani is only 15 miles away, about 10 minute flight. It takes 5 hours to get from Loi to Gatab by road.
Excitement...well, every landing at Gatab is exciting. One in particular was...I landed and the right main tire went flat. I never did figure out why. There were no thorns in evidence on inspection, the tube valve was fine... The landing was routine, but on roll out the plane kept pulling right no matter how hard I got on the left rudder and brake. I figured out the problem half way through roll out, but there's not much to do about it except get the airplane stopped. Which I did. John W. helped me get the tire changed and the airplane back to the hangar. It's great having help like that around.
Well, this post is getting long, so more in the next one.....
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